My Manic & I
by dizzy - in - the - izzy
Summary: With a serial killer on the loose, Tony and Ziva are sent undercover. As a happily married couple.
1. Serial Killings

**Title: **My Manic & I  
**Author: **dizzy - in - the - izzy  
**Rating: **T.. Possible to change.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own NCIS, or anything affiliated with it.  
**Summary: **With a serial killer on the loose, Tony and Ziva are sent undercover. As a happily married couple.

**A/N: **So, I have a new idea. And, let me tell you, I'm glad I just got this done. I've had an awful BLOCK that I hate right now. I am so angry, because I can't get anywhere on Hello, Apathy. You have no idea how angry it's made me. And when this hit me, I had to go with it. I'm having second thoughts about this, because I don't want to start this and then have a block like on Apathy and just.... die off. UGH!

On the other hand, Summer is around the corner. And Summer is so important, it is capitalized. :P And Summer means faster and more amazing updates. : )

* * *

Tony, Ziva and McGee sat at their desks, praying for a miracle. McGee was aimlessly running searches on things that he knew would create no results. Tony had given up completely and was playing Bejeweled. Ziva looked like she was beginning to fall asleep, and no one blamed her. It was midnight, and they were all tired of the case they were on.

"I hate serial killers." Tony said quietly, trying his best to let Ziva sleep. She hadn't taken any naps (as opposed to Tony and McGee's frequent naps), and was beginning to look drained.

"Don't we all." McGee whispered back, letting his head fall onto his desk. The bullpen was quiet, and eventually Ziva's head fell from her hand and onto her desk. Tony grimaced as she scared herself awake, and he moved over to her desk with his jacket.

"Here, lay your head on this."

She was so tired that she did as he said, and he watched as she wrapped her arms around the jacket and went back to sleep. He had a sudden urge to touch her, but he made himself move back over to his desk. He sat down, yawning and contemplating falling asleep. He knew that Gibbs wouldn't be happy with them, but they were going nowhere. Tony was about to shut his eyes when Gibbs walked slowly into the bullpen. He looked around, and then at Tony.

"Nothing?" He asked, and Tony nodded.

"Nothing." Tony said, and Gibbs sighed. He handed Tony a coffee, and Tony sat up straight.

"Thanks boss." Tony said, taking a sip. It wasn't exactly the way he liked it, but it was better than nothing.

"What _do_ we have?" Gibbs asked quietly, allowing the younger agents to sleep. Tony rolled his chair over to Gibbs desk, holding his notes in his hand. Gibbs noticed the paper, covered in scribbles, but didn't say anything.

"We have three victims, each woman, and each happily married. The first and latest victims were in the Navy, and the second's husband was in the Navy. Each lived in different residential areas. Kirk and O'Hara were pregnant, and White wanted to have children. Each couple frequented a Kenny's Diner." Tony said, looking through his paperwork. He kept his voice low, wary of the sleeping people around him.

"Naval personal all worked in different areas." Gibbs said, and Tony nodded.

"The only big thing they have in common is the diner." Tony said, rubbing his head. This evidence wasn't new to them. He felt like someone cramming for a test.

Gibbs looked at the folders in front of him, then let out a long breath.

"He's going to strike again." Tony said, and Gibbs nodded.

"I know."

* * *

Ziva woke up to the smell of Tony. It was impeding her nose, and she really didn't mind. But, then she remembered she fell asleep at work, and she sat up straight in a fit of shock. When she saw that she was sitting at her desk, with only her head on Tony's jacket, she sighed a sigh of relief and tiredness. She looked around, and was surprised to see a cup of coffee on her desk. She put her hands around it, and felt that it was still warm.

Sitting back, she looked at her teammates. McGee was awake, and yawning as he typed away at his keyboard. Tony was asleep at his desk, his cheek on his arm. Ziva carefully picked up Tony's jacket, folding it in her lap. She stood up, setting her coffee down. She walked over to Tony, and placed the jacket over his back carefully.

"Morning Ziva." He whispered, scaring her slightly. She pinched his neck and he yelped.

"Good morning Tony. Thank you for the pillow last night." She said before walking over to her desk again. When she saw down, she saw that Tony was looking at her, his chin on the back of his hand. He smiled, and then yawned.

"You are welcome." He said, stretching before shaking his head and blinking. He then saw the coffee on his desk, and quirked an eyebrow. Ziva gestured towards her coffee, and Tony nodded. He took a sip, and smiled.

"Where's Gibbs?" He asked, looking at McGee. McGee shrugged, yawning before taking another sip of his coffee. He jerked his head towards MTAC, and Tony nodded.

"Meeting with the director, I got it." He said, turning his computer back on. He yawned again, looking at the screen.

So far, the serial killer had only stumped them. And, as Abby said, this guy was good. They never found any evidence that he was even in the house. Never broke in, didn't leave fingerprints or footprints. He was almost like a ghost, and Tony had made a point to say that. But then, Ziva had to point out that ghosts couldn't shoot people, and the rest was history.

It was beginning to get to the team. Some cases hit harder than others did, and this one seemed to affect them all. Maybe it was the fact that two had been pregnant (which seemed to bug Abby the most), or the fact that they were all couples who would probably never get divorced (which seemed to bug Ziva and slightly Gibbs). Tony and McGee didn't say much, but Ziva had noticed their facial expressions while working. She knew that certain aspects of the case bugged them differently.

Ziva looked around now, and watched her friends. Tony was aimlessly going through a folder, flipping the pages with boredom. McGee was doing the same, but he was on the computer, obviously going through records. They were just waiting for Gibbs to come down now, so they could set out to try to figure the case out.

"DiNozzo, David!"

Tony and Ziva looked up at Gibbs, where he stood on the catwalk. They each got up, looking at each other as they walked to the stairs.

"What did you do now?" Tony asked Ziva, and she glared at him.

"More like what did you do." She argued, and he glared back. They made it t the top, where Gibbs motioned them to follow him. He led them into Vance's office, the pair exchanging looks of confusion.

"I've decided that I'm done of this 'laying in wait' game." Director Vance said, looking between the agents. He pushed a file folder out towards them, and Ziva grabbed it. She opened it, Tony looking over his shoulder. They each read, and Ziva looked up first.

"You want me to be bait?" She asked, Tony looking at her. He then looked at Vance, waiting for an answer.

"Exactly what it says." Vance said. Gibbs looked at his agents, watching as they kept reading.

"Looks like it's undercover we go again." Tony said, smirking at Ziva. She glared up at him, before closing the file with a snap.

"At least this time your name is not Jean Paul."

* * *

McGee watched as Tony and Ziva walked back into the bullpen. Tony handed McGee a folder, and McGee looked inside. He looked back up in an instant, a smirk on his face. Ziva glowered.

"You guys are going undercover to entice the serial killer?"

"Can you not say it like that?" Tony asked, obviously peeved. McGee was about to answer when Gibbs breezed into the bullpen.

"All three of you, get down to Abby's lab and start making backgrounds." He barked at them, and they all jumped up. They walked to the elevator, McGee holding the file to his nose.

"As a happily married couple?" He said loudly, catching Gibbs' attention.

As the elevator door shut, he could have sworn he heard McGee yell out in pain.

"But, why would Tony or Ziva do that?" He shrugged, leaving the bullpen to find some coffee.

* * *

**A/N: **So, I hope that isn't confusing. Ehh, it probably is. It'll make more sense later. I hope... yeahh. :P

Leave me some love. Please... (;


	2. Meet Daniel and Sophia Brown

**A/N:** So, thanks for all the reviews/story alerts. Each time I opened my e-mail, I had new e-mails each making me happier and happier. Honestly, I've missed it. I should write more. :P

Anyway, this second chapter was written.. well.. today. It seems that I have more and more free time. I thank the fact that STAR testing has created no homework. : ) I personally really like this chapter, because I finally fixed it all out. It's not that exciting, because it's not going to all be exciting, but it's set up and I like set up and fluff. Ha.

**Disclaimer: **I want to own CBS, just to make an episode of The Mentalist where Tim Kang is shirtless the whole time. :P

* * *

Abby felt accomplished. She honestly felt like she was doing something. She finalized the background on Tony and Ziva's undercover assignment. She smiled. Her handy work was great.

Daniel and Sophia Brown had met at a park while excising one day. They had dated for two years before getting married, and had been married for five. David worked at the Naval Base, and occasionally made trips to NCIS. Sophia worked from home, as a personal trainer. They went to Kenny's Diner on Saturday evenings, and had occasional barbecues with the neighbors. They moved to their new neighborhood because they needed to be closer to Daniel's work and a larger basement for Sophia's personal training. They wanted to start a family, but were letting life go as it may.

Abby smiled at her piece of paper, finding their background story to be just fine. She was so bored after finishing their paperwork, so she decided to be creative. This way, they had the more important stuff down. They could make things up as they went along, but this way they wouldn't flop on the more important stuff.

Abby grabbed all the important paperwork, along with her own little addition. She walked over to the elevator, getting on when it came. She rode up to the bullpen, surprised to find no one there. She looked around, confused.

"Where did everyone go?" She said to herself, setting the paperwork down on Gibbs' desk. She turned around, walking over to McGee's desk and sitting down. She looked at the computer, figuring out what to do. In truth, there was nothing, but trying to figure that out was taking up time.

"Abs, what are you doing?" Gibbs said, breezing into the bullpen.

"I dropped off the stuff for Tony and Ziva. They are all set."

"Good." Gibbs said. Abby stood up, looking around.

"When are they going?" She asked. Gibbs took a drink of his coffee.

"Tomorrow morning. Vance has everything set up. They are home now, packing stuff up." Gibbs said.

"Including McGee?"

"No. He's setting up surveillance in MTAC."

Abby nodded, deciding that this wasn't where she needed to be. Skipping happily, she decided to go see Ducky.

At least down there, things were supposed to be dead.

* * *

"Here are your ID's." Gibbs handed Tony and Ziva their fake ID's. He also handed Tony his military ID, and Tony smiled.

"Awesome." He said, turning to Ziva. She was taking her real ID out of her wallet, and replacing it with her fake one. Tony realized that was a good idea, and followed suit.

"You are now Daniel and Sophia Brown. Abby… yeah." Gibbs said, handing them the page Abby had written up. Ziva smiled as she read it.

"Abby was obviously bored." She said, handing it to Tony. He read it quickly.

"We should memorize this." He said, and Ziva nodded in agreement. Gibbs then handed them rings, and Tony smiled.

"Yes, I get a ring." He smiled, pulling his and Ziva's out of the bag. He gently slid it onto her finger, smiling at her before sliding it his onto his own finger. They shared a quick look before looking back at Gibbs.

"You're car is waiting in the parking garage. Van will follow you there."

They were about to leave when McGee ran up behind them.

"Oh, and here are these."

He handed them earpieces. Tony and Ziva pocketed them before leaving. They walked quietly down the parking lot, finding their car with ease.

"Only one car?" Ziva said with a hint of playfulness. Tony smirked at her.

"I guess we do the grocery shopping together." He said, and she laughed.

They were halfway to the house when Ziva turned her body to face Tony.

"So, Daniel. Would you like to go on a run tonight? To get a feel for our new neighborhood." Ziva said, and Tony looked at her.

"I'd love to Sophia. If we can." He said, looking in the rear view mirror. The house was fully furnished, so they were only bringing small items. They had enlisted Palmer to play the part of a friend helping them bring some boxes of personal items to their new house. He was driving one of his friends van, and in the back were a couple boxes.

"I'm sure we can get everything settled quickly, Daniel." She said, and Tony smiled.

"Yes Sophia."

They were quiet again, as Ziva sat smiling at Tony. He pulled up to the house, shutting off the car. Palmer pulled up right behind them, getting out as soon as he parked.

"Do you guys have the key?" He asked Tony and Ziva as they got out of their car, and Tony nodded.

"Sure thing." He said, handing it to Ziva so he could go grab boxes.

* * *

It didn't take long for the boxes to be emptied, and then it took a little time to put their clothes away. Ziva walked down the stairs, noticing that it was almost noon and there was no food in the house to eat. She smiled, knowing exactly what they would do. She waited for Tony to come down the stairs and find her.

"Why don't we go out for lunch? There is no food in this house yet. We can go shopping afterwards." She said, and Tony nodded. He looked down at his dirty jeans, thanks to an obnoxious plant. Ziva smiled at him.

"Go get changed, and we'll go honey." She said, smiling. Tony smiled back, moving back upstairs to change his pants. After doing so, they walked outside. Tony locked the door before going, Ziva looking around as she waited. She noticed kids in the yard to her right, and smiled.

"Should we get a dog Dan?" She called over her shoulder, and Tony walked up behind her. He followed her gaze.

"Let's wait. Don't want to ruin the new house too soon." He joked, and she smiled.

"True." She said, walking down the steps. Tony was opening the door for Ziva when a voice caught their attention.

"Hello there."

A 30 something woman was standing a few feet from the car, and Ziva smiled at her.

"Hi. We just moved in. I'm Sophia Brown, and this is my husband Daniel."

"I'm Cindy Hart. I live in that house." She pointed to where the kids were playing. "I guess I am your next door neighbor." Tony laughed. He held out his hand.

"It's lovely to meet you." He said, shaking Cindy's hand.

"As is you. Are you leaving?" Cindy asked, looking between them. Ziva nodded.

"There is no food in the house, so I said we should go out for lunch." Ziva said, feeling Tony's hand move to her back.

"You should try Café Blue; it's a lovely place. My children love it, as does my husband. And it's near the shopping center, so you could go grocery shopping."

"That sounds perfect." Ziva said, smiling. She looked up at Tony, and he nodded.

"We'll do that."

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. It was lovely to meet you both." Cindy said.

"You too." Tony said, opening Ziva's door. She got in just as Cindy reached her front walk, and Tony walked around the car to get in.

"She was nice." Ziva said, and Tony nodded.

"I'm starved." He said, and Ziva reached over to rub his stomach.

"Poor Daniel." She said, and he smirked at her. He had already been planning on going to Café Blue when Ziva suggested going out to eat, so he knew his way. Stopping at a stop sign, he let his right hand fall onto the seat.

"Did Gibbs set up who is going to be your clients?" Tony asked, suddenly curious.

"Well, apparently Abby and Palmer are going to be visiting. Along with McGee." She said, smiling. Tony laughed.

"Go easy on him." He said, and Ziva laughed.

"That is what he told me last night, about you."

* * *

Tony pulled back up to their house just as street lights began to blink. He couldn't believe he'd spent all afternoon grocery shopping, but he didn't mind. He got out of the car, following Ziva to the trunk to pull out all the food.

"Will you get the door honey?" He asked her, handing her the keys. She nodded, grabbing one bag and walking up the walk. Tony grabbed three bags, going behind her. He dropped the bags in the kitchen, and headed out to get more. He was almost done when a man approached him.

"My wife Cindy told me you just moved in. I'm Paul Hart." Tony put his bag down, shaking hands with Paul.

"Daniel Brown. My wife, Sophia, is inside. We went grocery shopping."

"I can tell. That's a lot of stuff." Paul said, and Tony shrugged.

"I get hungry a lot." He said with a smile.

"You are always hungry." Ziva said, appearing next to Tony. She held her hand out to Paul. "I'm Sophia."

"Paul Hart, from next door. Cindy told me to be social and say hello." Tony laughed, wrapping his arm around Ziva's waist.

"I'm usually telling Soph that." Tony said, and Paul laughed. Ziva smiled good-naturedly.

"You guys seem happy. How long have you been married?"

"Five years. Nearing six." Tony said with Ziva nodding in agreement.

"How long have you and Cindy been married?" Ziva asked, and Paul shifted.

"10 years. At five years, I didn't believe we'd last this long. Our second child was on the way, and Cindy was having complications. You know how that goes." Tony nodded, knowing that he'd have to explain to Ziva later.

"I'm sorry. Did it all work out?" Tony said, and Paul nodded.

"Oh, yeah. Mary's fine. She just turned five, and she's excited to go into kindergarten this upcoming school year. Maybe you can meet her some day. We're planning on having barbeque soon, to celebrate spring. I'm sure Cindy would kill me if I didn't invite you both." Paul said with a smile. Ziva smiled back.

"We'd love to come. When you figure out the date and time, we will be there." Ziva said, and Paul smiled.

"Well, I'll let you guys get back to groceries. It was nice meeting you both."

"It was nice meeting you as well."

Tony lifted the bag off the ground, looking at Ziva.

"I love neighbors." He said, and Ziva smiled

"You love those neighbors. Wait until we meet a creepy neighbor." Ziva said, and Tony frowned.

"No creepy neighbors please." He said, pushing Ziva up towards the house. She smiled back at him, hurrying inside to keep putting away food. Tony quickly finished bringing stuff inside, and she smiled at him when he walked in empty handed. It didn't take long for both of them to finish putting stuff away, and soon they were sitting on the couch in the living room.

"What exactly did Paul mean, about his wife and complications?" Ziva asked Tony as she scooted closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Usually, when something happens to a child in a marriage, the marriage falls apart. If a child dies, statics say that more than likely the marriage falls apart." Ziva nodded, looking straightforward.

"I had a friend when I was younger. Her older sister was taken, and her parents could not live with each other. Her dad eventually moved out. They stayed married, but they never saw each other. It hurt her."

Tony wasn't sure if she was telling a real story or not, but nonetheless he squeezed her shoulders. She smiled at him, letting her head fall onto his shoulder.

"Tired Soph?" He asked, and she sat up straight.

"Soph?" She questioned, and Tony shrugged.

"You call me Dan." He said, and Ziva shrugged. She stood up, looking around. She walked over to the light switch, smirking.

"Race you upstairs." She said quickly as she shut off the light and headed for the kitchen. Tony got off the couch, and ran up the stairs behind her. Tony grabbed Ziva's waist, twisting her around as they reached the top floor, going ahead of her. She jumped on his back, laughing.

"Hey." He said, collapsing onto the bed face first. Ziva quickly rolled off him, letting him breath. He smiled at her, glad to see her hair a mess and face flushed.

"Who won?" She asked, and Tony shrugged. He sat up on his elbows.

"I believe I hit the bed first."

Ziva smacked his head softly, getting up to change. Tony followed suit, meeting up with Ziva in the bathroom. They brushed their teeth, and when Ziva finished she smiled at Tony in the mirror.

"Work tomorrow." She said, and Tony scrunched up his face. He made a noise as if he wanted to speak, but his toothbrush prevented that.

"I know honey." She said, and he glared at her. She left the room, and Tony spit. He finished, shutting off the light and making his wary way to the bed. He crawled up the mattress, slipping under the covers. Ziva was lying on her back, and Tony suddenly got a thought. Sitting up, he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Good night Sophia." He whispered as he lay back down. Ziva reached over with her hand and touched his cheek.

"Good night Daniel."

* * *

**A/N: **Just to say, this is set sometime in the future of S7. Which, btw, will be all new episodes next week. BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN WAITING LONG ENOUGH! And now that I will not be worrying about American Idol because it SUCKS, I'll be watching NCIS then Glee on Tuesdays. :)

Reviews are always appreciated.


	3. Barbeque

**A/N: **First off, I want you all to know that I really appreciate the reviews and the alerts. I think that I've never had more alerts on so little chapters before. So, thanks!

Secondly, I would like to say that this chapter presented a challenge. I skipped forward two weeks, as the story required it too. Don't want it to be all fluff and filler. Although, I think most people like fluff.... Anyway, I don't want this to be incredibely short, but it can't be incredibely long. And, like always, I know what's going to happen but I don't know how to get there. :P Stick with me though.

Lastly, well. I like this chapter. I have little homework, so I decided this was in need. I feel super bad about Hello, Apathy now. :/

**Disclaimer: **I tried to redo my profile, and I felt that everything that I was typing would never match up to what I have on there now. I mean.... I honestly can't explain myself better than that. Oh, and I don't own NCIS.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Tony and Ziva had gone undercover. In the beginning, they knew this wouldn't be a quick operation. They had to been seen, and targeted, as a happily married couple who visited Kenny's Diner. They had been to Kenny's three times already, each with a different waiter and staff. They didn't mind going there so much. They soon came to realize why the place was so popular.

They were sitting on the couch, talking, when someone knocked on the door. Ziva untangled her legs from Tony's, glaring at him. She walked over to the door, pulling her shawl around her body. She opened the door and smiled when she saw Allyson Hart, Cindy and Paul's 9-year-old daughter.

"Hello Allyson. How are you?" Ziva said, allowing the girl to walk inside. Allyson smiled shyly. She had taken a liking to Ziva, and visited her frequently.

"I'm good. My mom sent me over here to invite you to a barbeque tomorrow." She said, waving at Tony. Tony waved back.

"We'd love to come." Tony said, getting up and walking up next to Ziva. He smiled down at her.

"Would your mom like to me bring anything?" Ziva asked, and Allyson nodded.

"She said any kind of food. Probably something with fruit. At least, that is what she hinted." Allyson said with a laugh, and Tony caught Ziva laughing slightly.

"Alright. I can do that. What time?" Ziva asked, walking into the kitchen. Allyson followed her, leaving Tony in the living room. He didn't mind though.

"Around 2."

"Good. We will be there. Thanks honey." Ziva said, and Tony watched as she lead Allyson to the door. When the door shut, Tony smirked. Ziva turned back around, catching Tony's smirk. She walked over and sat next to him, laying her legs across his lap.

"What are you smirking about?" She asked, and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You're turning soft." He said, and she pinched him.

"I am not." She retorted, and he smirked. Ziva reached behind him and grabbed the TV remote. Tony let her pick what to watch, playing with the end of her shawl. He looked up when he realized that Ziva was watching the Food Channel.

"This channel always makes me hungry." He said quietly, and Ziva nodded.

"I watch it during the day, when I have nothing else to do." She said, letting her head fall against Tony's shoulder. It was getting late, and she'd had a long day. Trying to teach Palmer how to use weights took a lot out of a person.

"You should go to bed Soph." Tony whispered to her, and she sighed.

"I am not tired." She said, and Tony laughed.

"Yes you are." He argued, and she smiled.

"I don't want to go to bed." She said, and Tony laughed again. He could tell she was tired just by how horrible her lying was. Tony gently moved to the edge of the couch, standing up with Ziva in his arms. She allowed him to carry her up the stairs and place her on their bed. She released her grip on his neck gently, and he smiled. He then disappeared into the bathroom.

Ziva moved up to her side of the bed. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart. She got up quickly, grabbing her pajamas off the floor and changing into them. She was putting her hair up in a ponytail when Tony walked out of the bathroom. She brushed her teeth quickly, shutting off the light as she walked back into the bedroom. Tony was already in bed, his head lying on his pillow. Ziva slipped under the covers, grabbing her pillow and laying her head on it.

And, like every night before, Tony leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Good night Sophia." He whispered. Ziva smiled, touching his cheek.

"Good night Daniel."

* * *

Ziva laughed as Miranda King told a joke. Ziva sipped on her apple cider, shaking her head as she moved over to put a piece of fruit on her plate. Cindy smiled at her, walking over. Mary was on her hip, the five year olds face a joyous sight. She had been smiling all evening.

"Where is Daniel?" Cindy asked, and Ziva shifted her weight.

"He was called into work when something was lost. He should be here soon." Ziva said as she looked towards the house. She had been waiting for Tony to show up all night, as she wasn't quite comfortable alone. Though, she would never tell him.

"I bet he'll be here soon. He can't miss Paul's barbeque." Cindy gushed, and Ziva laughed.

"He will not miss out on food, trust me." Ziva said, and Cindy laughed with her.

* * *

Tony knocked on the front door of the Harts house, and smiled when little Mary answered. He lifted her up.

"Hey Mary. How are you?" He said, and she smiled shyly.

"I'm good Dan."

"Where's your daddy?" Mary pointed to the kitchen, and Tony put Mary down. She ran to the kitchen, and Tony heard her squeal before he got there.

"Hey Dan. How's work?" Paul asked, and Tony shook his head.

"Impossible. Where's Sophia?" Tony said, and Paul jerked his head out towards the back.

"Everyone else is out there. I came in here to get Mary her water bottle." Paul said, handing Mary her full water bottle. Mary smiled before clumsily running out back again.

"Thanks." Tony said before moving towards the back yard. He could hear all of the kids playing, and some occasional screams. He smiled when he walked out the back door and onto the back porch. He said hi to some other neighbors he knew before spotting Ziva. She was holding Josie, the newborn from across the street. He walked over to her, a slow smile creeping up on his face. When he reached her, he put his hand on her back.

"Hey honey." He said quietly, and she smiled up at him.

"Finally, you're here." She said, handing Josie back to her mother. "I was beginning to worry."

Tony smiled, leaning down and kissing her. When he pulled away, he smiled at her.

"I missed you too." He said, and she smacked his chest softly. She didn't move out of his arm, leaning into him.

"Do you usually get called into work like that?" Cindy asked, and Tony shrugged.

"It depends on the day." Tony said, squeezing Ziva's hip. She smiled to herself, finishing her tea. Tony looked around, and Ziva smiled.

"The cooler is over there." She said. Tony disappeared for a minute, coming back with a Coke. He wrapped his arm around Ziva's waist again.

"You are just in time. Paul and Simon just finished the barbeque." Josie's mom, Kelly, said. She balanced Josie on her hip, grabbing a wipe from her bag. Ziva held the bag, allowing Kelly to quickly clean Josie's face.

"Thanks."

Someone yelled 'food' and there was a sudden rush towards the back porch. Ziva watched Tony walk that way, staying with Kelly.

"You aren't hungry?" Kelly asked, and Ziva shook her head.

"I am, but I know Dan will get me some food." She said with a smile, and Kelly smiled back.

"He really loves you." Kelly said, causing Ziva to smile shyly. She shook her head. She smiled up at Tony when he walked back over to her, a plate of her favorite food.

Kelly gave her a look, and Ziva ignored her.

* * *

Ziva was lying awake in bed, her back to Tony. He was snoring, so she knew that he wasn't awake. The second they had walked through the front door, he'd fallen asleep. She had smiled as he walked up the stairs in a groggy state and fell onto the bed fully clothed.

Now, Ziva was left wide-awake with a running brain. She was running through neighbors in her mind. She knew that the serial killer couldn't be one of them, because all of the victims had lived in different areas. Nonetheless, she thought about each of them. She also thought about the people she'd met that didn't live in the neighborhood. Her favorite had been when Cindy introduced her to a waiter from Kenny's that apparently was great friends with Paul.

Benjamin had been his name. Ziva remembered because he'd waited on them once at Kenny's.

She thought about Josie quickly, the adorable bubbling baby that had kept everyone's attention. Ziva had spent half the night with Kelly, holding and making faces at Josie.

Tony snorted, turning over in the bed. He reached towards Ziva, grabbing at her waist. He stopped moving, and Ziva bit her bottom lip. She turned over, taking Tony's hands in her own. She looked at his sleeping face, smiling as he twitched.

Ziva hadn't seen Tony's kiss coming. During their two weeks undercover, they hadn't kissed. Tony had kissed her multiple on the forehead. She'd kissed his cheek before he went to work. Whenever he came home and Allyson was there, he kissed her right atop the forehead.

Watching Tony sleep, Ziva decided that he looked comfortable. She let go of his hands, moving his arms so she could curl up next to him. She pulled the blanket with her, tucking herself in as she curled into his chest. Tony's arm wrapped around her waist, and he snored slightly. Ziva smiled, her eyes finally shutting and her brain finally resting. Tony smiled, tightening his arms around Ziva.

He loved pretending to be asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **I love it too. Pretending to be asleep. :) And the chapter.

I also appreciate reviews.

Leave me some.

-Izzy.


	4. Paranoid

**A/N: **Oh, the joys of being home alone.

I'd like to say thanks to OutCold and Tiva4evaxxx. They helped me with some technical stuff on this chapter. That, and they are just great in general. :)

Wow this is a short Authors Note.

* * *

Tony and Ziva sat right next to each other in a booth at Kenny's, laughing at each other. Tony had his arm around Ziva's shoulders, and Ziva was leaning into Tony. They were waiting for their food to arrive, and were having a good time. Ziva reached forward and grabbed her drink. She took a quick drink of her tea before putting it back.

It was a Saturday night, and Kenny's was packed. Ziva had asked to sit in the corner of the diner, to be out of the way. She enjoyed the privacy being in the corner presented. And she was sure Tony liked it as well.

"How was work today?" Ziva asked, changing the subject. Tony shrugged.

"Boss was in a foul mood. Something about going nowhere." Tony said, and Ziva grimaced. She looked around the diner, watching the people moving about. She saw their waiter walking towards their table, and she nudged Tony.

"Food."

Benjamin walked over, balancing their plates on his hands. He smiled at them.

"Thanks for waiting. There was an explosion in the kitchen, not a big one, but one large enough to scare Vinnie. Someone forgot to mix something properly, and then you know. Food's everywhere."

Tony and Ziva laughed, watching as Ben sat their plates down.

"Can I get you guys anything? More drinks? Would you like a refill on your tea Sophia?" Ziva nodded, and Benjamin disappeared.

Benjamin had been their waiter twice, and he already knew their names. Apparently, he was good friends with all the people he waited on, and ended up being their waiter when they came in on his shift.

"Oo, can I have a bit of your potatoes?" Tony asked, moving his head closer to Ziva's. She glared at him.

"You have your own plate of food." She said, and he smirked. Sighing, she stabbed a potato with her fork and put it in his open mouth. He smiled.

"Thanks." He said, quickly kissing her cheek before removing his arm from her shoulders and beginning to eat.

"Here's your tea." Ben said as he walked back over, wiping his face off. He smiled at them, and then disappeared.

"He's always so busy." Tony said, chewing on his meat. Ziva smiled as she watched a line of steak juice run down Tony's chin. Reaching over, she caught it with her napkin before it got on his shirt.

"Thanks." He said between bites of food. She rolled her eyes at him.

Ziva ate her food slowly, looking around the diner. She was fully alert when she was at the diner. She felt Tony's hand on her knee, and she looked at him. He gave her a look, and she smiled.

"I'm fine." She said quietly, and he smiled. He put his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her. She smiled at him, going back to her food. Tony had already finished, so she finished her own food quickly. She had just finished when Benjamin walked over.

"How was it?" He asked as he grabbed their plates. Tony smiled.

"I know I'm full."

"Good. I can have my own desert then?" Ziva teased, and Tony glared at her.

"Oh, I always have room for desert sweet cheeks." Tony said in a low tone. Ziva looked away, smiling to herself. She handed Benjamin her fork.

"Would you guys like desert?" He said, his eyes glancing over them. Ziva tilted her head away from Tony, thinking. Tony watched her, and then smirked.

"Hot fudge sundae." Tony said, and Ziva looked at him.

"Why that?" She asked, but Benjamin was already disappearing. Ziva watched him go, forgetting her question. She didn't even hear Tony's question. She was watching down the way, towards the kitchen. There was a waiter sitting there, and he looked slightly angry.

"Soph?"

Ziva snapped out of her trance, looking up at Tony. She smiled at his concerned face.

"Hot fudge sundae sounds good."

Tony smiled at her, and Ziva let her head fall on his shoulder.

* * *

Ziva and Tony walked out of Kenny's, their hands linked. It was getting late, and there were people everywhere. Tony kept Ziva close to him, weaving through the parking lot to their car. He unlocked Ziva's door, opening it for her before going to his own door. He pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards their neighborhood.

"I am full." Tony remarked, and Ziva laughed. She reached over and touched Tony's stomach.

"I can tell. You are about to burst out of your pants." She joked, and he smiled at her. He watched as she turned her body towards him, and curled her knees to her chest. She rested her head against the back of the seat.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" He asked quietly, turning on the heater. It was getting chilly.

"Yes, I did. I especially liked the hot fudge sundae." Ziva said quietly, putting her hands flat on the seat when the car turned. Tony drove down their street slowly, pulling into their driveway. Ziva rocked with the car as Tony parked the car. She unfolded herself and got out of the car. She followed Tony up the walk, and inside.

Tony went straight to the bathroom, and Ziva walked up the stairs. She was beginning to feel tired, and she knew it was because she was so full. She changed into her pajamas, and brushed her teeth. She looked at herself in the mirror before shutting off the light and shuffling back into the bedroom. She paused near the bed, hearing a noise outside. She moved to the window near her side of the bed, looking out. She could barely see.

She quickly pulled her hair up in a ponytail before slipping into bed. She let herself sink into the pillows, pulling the blankets up to her chin. She turned towards the middle of the bed, waiting for Tony to come to bed.

She stiffened when she heard something outside again. She sat up, looking around.

"Daniel?" She called, listening for his response. She didn't hear any, so she got up and opened the hallway door. She screamed when she ran into someone, and then she realized it was Tony.

"Hey, Soph. It's okay. It's just me." He said quietly, wrapping his arms around her. Ziva shook herself. Why had she screamed? She wrapped her arms around Tony's waist, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I keep hearing stuff outside." She said quietly, and Tony rubbed her back. Gently, he moved them towards the bed. He twisted so that his back was to the bed and gently let them fall onto the bed. Ziva gasped slightly, and then she laughed. She put her hands on Tony's chest, pushing herself up.

"Thank you." She said quietly, and he smiled at her.

"I promise that nothing will hurt you Soph." Tony said, looking straight into Ziva's eyes. She understood what he was saying, and ducked her head when their eye contact became slightly embarrassing to her.

"I won't let anything hurt you." Tony whispered, and Ziva felt a blush on her cheeks. She lifted her head up, moving one of her hands to Tony's face.

"I know." She whispered, kissing him quickly. She rolled off of him, and to her side of the bed. Tony smiled, turning over and sliding off the bed. He quickly changed into his pajamas, slipping under the covers.

It was quiet in the bedroom, just their breathing making noise. Tony was lying flat on his back, listening to all the sounds around him. The bed moved, and Tony felt Ziva's arms go around him. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Good night sweet cheeks." Tony whispered. Ziva was quiet, and when he looked down, he saw that she was already asleep.

Smiling, Tony shut his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Ziva woke up with a start, her eyes snapping open fast. She froze, not exactly sure why she'd woken up. She focused on Tony's even breathing, trying to get herself to fall back to sleep. Tony's arms tightened around her for a moment, and then he snorted slightly. Ziva smiled to herself.

Ziva nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of breaking glass. She felt Tony jolt awake, and his arms held her tight. Suddenly, an alarm when off, and dogs started to bark. Ziva and Tony flew out of bed, Tony grabbing his gun. Ziva was down the stairs before Tony, and she unlocked the threw open the front door in a flash.

They got outside just in time to see a car speed off, and Paul Hart run out his front door. Lights started flicking on in houses across and down the street. People started to pour out into the street.

Tony looked at Ziva, knowing exactly what she was thinking just by the look on her face. He reached over and touched her face before running inside. Ziva watched him go, before deciding she needed to do something.

Something to distract herself from the growing fear in her stomach.


	5. Date

**A/N: **Oh so sorry for the wait. I totally forgot I had this typed, and everything. I mean, what has it been, two weeks? I feel an awful person. I blame the construction workers around my house that caused me to have no power for two days, and then caused me to have no internet for a while. I finally got everything back to normal today. :D Thank god. After my week...

Anyway, I think this qualifies as a filler chapter... ? :P

* * *

Tony let out a long breath as he finally arrived home. He never liked going to work to find Gibbs in a mood, and without coffee (which he had somehow been deprived of). Somehow, he and McGee had made it through the day, occasionally disappearing to let Gibbs brood. He didn't like the threat of another attack from a serial killer. Neither did Tony, but Gibbs was better at being angry about it.

Tony walked up the front walk, looking slightly to his left. He could see Paul on his front porch, watching Mary play with their dog. Tony waved at Paul, and Paul waved back before turning his attention back to Mary. Tony could only guess that, due to the attempted break in two nights before, Paul and Cindy watched all their children like hawks.

"Soph?" Tony called as he entered the house. He carried his brief case into the living room, where he put it down near the couch. He took off his suit jacket, undoing his tie and heading up the stairs. He walked into the bedroom, and heard the toilet flush. He put his clothes on the bed, changing out of his work clothes quickly. He was putting his tie back on the hanger when a pair of feminine arms wrapped around his middle.

"How was your day?" Ziva asked, going up on her tiptoes so she could kiss Tony's cheek. Tony smiled, putting his hands over hers.

"Hectic." He said, removing Ziva's hands so he could turn around. She looked relaxed, and well rested. He wrapped his arm around her waist, moving them towards the hallway. Tony went first down the stairs, pausing at the bottom so Ziva would bump into him. She pushed him, and he stumbled into the living room. Ziva disappeared from behind him, and he heard movement in the kitchen. Changing his direction, he moved into the kitchen. He found Ziva pulling something out fridge.

"What's that?" He asked, sitting down at the counter. Ziva took the lid off, and Tony suddenly knew.

"You made cheesecake?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"No, Ducky brought it over for us. He came and visited me today." She said, pulling out a knife and cutting Tony a piece. She slid the plate over to him, sliding a fork behind it. Tony took a bite, smiling at Ziva. He patted the stool next to him, and Ziva moved around the island to sit next to him. Tony kept eating the cheesecake, leaving a small bite for Ziva.

"How was your day?" Tony asked as Ziva ate the cheesecake. She licked the fork clean before shrugging.

"Uneventful." She said, and Tony smiled.

"Good. We're going on a date."

Ziva stopped putting the dishes in the sink, turning around to look at Tony.

"A date?" She asked, a smirk crossing her face. Tony nodded.

"Yes, a date. Remember? We went on them before we got married." Tony joked. He laughed as Ziva scowled at him.

"Why do you want to go out on a date?" She asked, putting the cheesecake away. When she shut the fridge door, Tony was standing there.

"When did it become a crime to take my beautiful wife out on a date?"

Ziva shook her head, smiling as she finally gave in.

* * *

Ziva smiled up at Tony as he continued to make his movie reference. They were walking down a side street, going home from the restaurant they had just eaten at. They had taken a cab to the restaurant, and Tony felt like walking home. Ziva leaned slightly into Tony as they maneuvered their way down the sidewalk.

"You are awfully quiet Sophia." Tony said, looking down at her. She shrugged, hooking her arm with Tony's as they waited to cross the street.

"I am enjoying the night." She said with a smile, and Tony smiled back.

"So you enjoyed dinner?"

"It was quite possibly the best dinner I have had in a while."

Tony smirked down at Ziva as they walked down the sidewalk. The streetlights were on, creating a glow on the slightly wet concrete. The night was warm, and people were outside despite fading light. Ziva let her head slightly rest on Tony's arm, enjoying the feeling of content washing over her.

She hadn't felt right since someone broke into the Hart's house. Maybe it was her "ninja skills", as Tony had referred to them the night before, or maybe her being paranoid. Either way, she didn't like the feeling and she'd decided to busy herself. She'd spent the past two days cleaning and keeping herself occupied by trying to keep Palmer from smashing his foot with weights. Abby was much better with weights and much better company.

Ziva looked up at Tony for a moment before looking straight ahead. Smiling to herself, she enjoyed the companionable silence. She felt at utter ease as Tony let go of her arm to fish his keys out of his pocket to open the front door. He allowed her to go first inside, and she turned lights on as she walked in.

"Cheesecake?" Ziva called from the kitchen. Tony smiled. They hadn't gotten desert at the restaurant just for this reason.

* * *

McGee walked into NCIS, relieving Abby from monitoring duty. For the past two days, the team had been alternating on monitoring Tony and Ziva. Mainly Ziva during the day, but at night they watched as well. Unlucky McGee had pulled the graveyard shirt.

"Hey McGee." Abby said, taking her feet off her desk. She'd conveniently gotten all of the video feeds onto her computer screen, so whoever was on watch could comfortably sit at her desk.

"Hey Abs. What are they up too?" He said, accepting the hug Abby offered. She shrugged.

"They just got home. Tony came home, said he wanted to take Ziva out on a date, and then they left. Now they are home, and Ziva said something about cheesecake. Ducky brought them over one earlier." Abby said sleepily. McGee smiled at Abby, gently leading her around her desk and to the air mattress lying on the floor. She lay down, not bothering to kick of her shoes.

McGee moved back over to the computer, looking over the screen. He saw Tony and Ziva sitting at the table, eating cheesecake and talking. He tried to read their lips, but it was difficult as they were sitting in the semi-dark. He watched, suddenly craving cheesecake.

"Tim?"

McGee looked up at the sound of his first name.

"Yeah Abby." He said, leaning back in the chair. She was still curled up on the air mattress, a blanket over her lower half. She was the main reason the air mattress was there. Gibbs didn't trust her to drive home this late. Even walk, for that matter

"Do you think Ziva will be alright?"

McGee looked back at the screen, watching as Tony and Ziva laughed about something. He watched them sitting next to each other, Tony's arm around Ziva's waist. Ziva shook her head at something, and then she shut her eyes and let her head fall on Tony's shoulder.

"She'll be safe. I don't think anything is going to happen to her."

"How can you be sure?" Abby said, her voice small. She was falling asleep.

"Because no one is going to let anything happen to her. Especially Tony and Gibbs."

There was a pause, in which Abby sighed.

"I'd like to see that serial killer get through Tony, and then Gibbs."

McGee looked at the screen. Tony was getting up with the plates in his hands. He put them in the sink, before picking Ziva up off her stool and carrying her to the bottom of the stairs. He placed her down there, and they proceeded to race up the stairs.

"I'd like to see that too."

* * *

**A/N: **I'm trying to think of how many chapter I want this to be. I'm still not sure.

Oh, and anyone who's seen the newest NCIS episode. What did you think? What do you think is going to happen?


	6. Paper Cranes

**A/N: **So, I am sorry for not updating sooner. I apologize, and blame school as my reason. Also my witness, but oh well. I just got my inspiration back this weekend, and soon I was typing again. I mean, with all the finals I was doing and things I had to get done and teachers... it just kinda left. I wasn't sure what I was doing and I lost thought. Now that summer is here and I am kinda carefree and just... relaxing, I feel the juices flowing. I even started a new oneshot collection. That made my night to post it. :)  
Anywho, this came as a sudden... slap in the face. I was thinking about where I wanted it to go when I first planned this (and I wish I had written it down) and then I was like... "Got it." so... yeah.

Just, read. And yes, it's kinda short in my opinion. Sorry.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything you recognize.

* * *

Gibbs had a pile of paperwork in front of him, and he was intent on getting through it all. This wasn't his favorite thing to do, but with only McGee in the office, each was backed up in paperwork. McGee had backgrounds to look through, and his eyes were starting to bother him. He kept rubbing them.

Sighing heavily, McGee stood up and made his way out of the bullpen. That left Gibbs alone, and he couldn't care less where McGee went. This case was bothering them.

Since the attempted break in, Gibbs had felt slightly on edge. He was worried about Ziva and Tony. He knew that they could defend themselves and were safe, but he still worried. He didn't like the nature of the case itself, if he were being honest. At the moment, he was reviewing three suspects. And they weren't really suspects. He just was digging for leads.

He had gone through all of the waiters at Kenny's, looking up background on each. Even though they'd done that already, Gibbs had done it again.

He was getting frustrated.

So far, all he knew was that Hannah Kine had broken into a house on her 21st birthday, and Jamie Young had gotten into a bar fight while out with friends. However, after consulting Ducky, Gibbs had ruled them both out. Ducky said that it was most like a man to do these killings, so Gibbs was back to square one.

He blinked.

He really needed more coffee.

…

Abby found it all too boring. She couldn't stand sitting at her desk, watching Tony and Ziva sleep. She was tired. She needed something to do. She was debating calling McGee and getting him out of bed to visit her, but she wasn't sure.

Sighing, she turned her face back to Tony and Ziva. She wasn't sure what she was seeing on the screen, if she were being honest. She took another drink of her now warm and melted Caf-Pow. It wasn't good unless it was cold, but she really didn't care at the moment. She needed something to keep her awake.

The screen showed a very dark street with very dark cars and a very dark room with dark figures sleeping.

Abby frowned at the screen, deciding that she was going to have a little bit of fun.

She took a piece of paper, folding it into a square and cutting off the end. She began to fold it, taking her sweet time. She'd every once in a while look at the screen, making sure nothing was happening. When she finished folding, she held up her crane. She was proud she even remembered how to fold it. Frowning, she realized that she didn't know what to do next.

She could make more cranes.

Three hours later, Abby sat in a pile of paper cranes, her boredom officially gone. She kept her eyes glued on the computer screen, as now she didn't even have to think about what she was doing. She was pretty sure that, by the time she was done, she would have around one thousand. She jumped as she heard the elevator ding, and she put the crane down quickly as McGee walked in with two coffee cups.

"Morning Abby." He said, and she got up. She walked over and gave him a quick hug before taking the coffee and walking out of her lab.

"Thank you McGee." She said.

"Where are you going?" He yelled after her, and she stopped.

"I've been sitting there, all night, making cranes to distract myself from the fact that my female bladder needs to be relieved."

McGee grimaced, turning around to sit in Abby's chair. He really didn't need to know that this early in the morning. He looked down at the computer screen, watching as Tony sat up in the bed. Ziva was still asleep, or was just laying there. McGee doubted Ziva was still asleep, and was proven right when she threw her pillow at Tony. McGee looked at the other parts of the screen, watching different portions of the house. He sat back, picking up a crane. There had to be hundreds lying all over the floor, all with small beaks and wings. It was obvious that Abby had been quite bored, and McGee laughed as he picked up a crane that had been smashed by him walking in.

"McGee, eyes on the screen."

McGee snapped straight up and looked at the screen at the sound of Abby's voice. She walked over, kicking cranes out of the way as she did, and stood behind him. McGee looked over the screens, and found Ziva in the kitchen. Tony was with her, drinking something out of a cup. They were talking, and Abby sighed.

"Everything's peaceful in suburbia." Abby moved over to the floor, where the mattress still sat. She laid down on it, pulling the blanket over herself and promptly fell asleep. McGee shook his head, looking back at the screen. He couldn't help but think, yet again, how this case was going to kill them all.

And he was sure that the death certificate would list cause of death as boredom.

…

Tony walked up the stairs, heading to grab his jacket. He searched through the closet, finally giving up.

"Soph, where is my jacket?" He called through the open door.

"It was not my turn to watch it."

Tony smiled, looking down. Of course, she'd say that. Getting up, he picked up his pants off the end of the bed and discovered his jacket. He smiled, picking up his phone off the bed and slipping on his jacket. he shut off the light and closed the door before making his way down the stairs. He stopped at the bottom, because something wasn't right. The front door was open, and the kitchen was silent. Even when she was sipping on her tea, Ziva made some noise. Tony moved towards the kitchen, looking around the corner slowly. He found no one there, and suddenly became panicked. As if on time, his phone went off.

"McGee, where is Ziva?" He said without thinking. He heard a pause, and bit his lip.

"McGee. Where is Ziva?" He said again, putting emphasis on each word.

"Someone kidnapped her." said Gibbs' voice. "We're on our way."

* * *

**A/N: **I would like to say that this was my sudden idea. I know where it's going now, but I forgot my first plan so this will have to work. :P

Special thanks to my friend/cousin Elicia for allowing me to use her Mac to finish this. :D

Reviews would be lovely.


	7. Loss

**A/N: **So, yeah. I'm watching Miracle, because I love history movies and the whole Miracle On Ice thing. :D****

Thanks: I have thanks for everyone who took time to review (though you were few) and Hannah (YouGottaSingAlong) for helping to beta this as I am now convinced that I really need to have a beta. :D

**P.S: **New break lines are (...) as my old way is now useless to FF for some reason.

* * *

McGee sat in the car, holding onto his seat for dear life. Gibbs was angry with him. Abby was furious at him. And McGee was sure that whatever Gibbs was feeling, Tony was feeling it one hundred times worse. McGee knew he'd screwed up. It was his entire fault that Ziva was now gone. He'd looked away from the screen for less than five seconds. Now, Ziva was gone and he was solely to blame.

Gibbs finally arrived at the house, and the authorities were already there. McGee stayed in the car for a second before getting out, completely fearing the cold shoulder he was going to receive from Tony. He walked up towards the house, flashing his badge to an officer. They'd kept on their regular clothes, because though they were there as NCIS agents, they had agreed with Vance to keep Tony's cover. For now, they were just in the area.

"It doesn't seem to be a break in. Looks like whoever got in knew what he was doing. Nothing was broken, and there are no apparent fingerprints in the usual places."

Gibbs was nodding at the officer. It was then that the officer started to speak very quietly to Gibbs, and due to the noise around them, McGee couldn't hear. He did see Gibbs nodded his head and say something that looked like thank you. Gibbs then motioned for McGee to follow, which he did. They walked inside, nodding at officers as they did so. They found Tony on the couch, with yet another officer, talking. McGee had a sense of déjà vu when he looked at Tony's face. It was the same face he'd had most of the summer after Ziva stayed in Israel.

McGee cringed.

"Thank you for your help. We'll find her."

The female officer got up and walked out of the room, nodding at Gibbs and McGee as she did. Gibbs waited until she was gone to sit next to Tony. Tony sat back against the cushions of the couch, his face completely falling.

"You know we'll find her." Gibbs said quietly, and Tony let out an empty chuckle.

"Last time she disappeared, I had to go on a suicide mission to find her."

Gibbs nodded, and glared at McGee to sit.

"I'm sorry Tony. I should have been watching." McGee said quietly. Tony didn't move, and McGee saw him swallow. If McGee didn't know better, it looked like Tony was going to cry. But McGee knew better.

Gibbs broke the awkward silence that followed by getting up, placing his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"She'll be alright."

Tony nodded, getting up as well. McGee followed Gibbs out the door, and looked back briefly at Tony.

…

It was about another hour before all of the officers and CSI's left. When they finally did, Tony shut and locked the door. He walked into the kitchen, looking at the empty room. There had been so many people in this room not but twenty minutes ago, going over every surface. Tony shut off the light, moving up the stairs to the bedroom. He stopped at the door, before kicking the frame and moving away.

He was going to be sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight.

He walked into the guest room, glad that Ziva was obsessed with keeping that bed made. He exited the room quickly though, heading into his own room and grabbing his sleeping clothes. He then shut that door, dropped the clothes in the hall next to the other door, and made his way down the stairs.

He didn't have to ask Gibbs to know that he was still on this mission, and that he could come into NCIS later. He did know that Gibbs would be keeping him updated, and was glad he didn't have to ask about that.

Tony moved to the front door when he heard a knock, taking a deep breath before opening it. He smiled when he saw little Mary standing there, with a card in her hand.

"Hi Daniel. I asked my daddy if I could come over here to see you, but he said I had to wait until the police were gone so here I am." She said, and Tony smiled. He looked up just as Paul walked up, a sad smile on his face.

"That's nice of you Mary." Tony said, lifting her up off the ground. Paul smiled, reaching over and tickling Mary's chin.

"She was watching all of the police from the window. She couldn't wait to get over here."

Tony smiled, feeling a lump in his throat. Mary wrapped her arms around his neck, the card scratching his skin. Tony patted Mary's back, and Paul smiled at him again.

"Mary, why don't you give Dan the card and then go back to eating your lunch." Paul said to Mary, and Mary nodded. Tony set her down. Mary handed him the card, and disappeared between her father's legs. When she was gone, Tony motioned for Paul to follow him inside.

"Do you want something to drink?" Tony asked, and Paul shook his head.

"I'm alright. I'm not over here for a drink. I'm over here to ask how you are."

Tony sat down on the couch, Paul moving to sit in the single seat.

"I'm alright." Tony said quietly, and Paul laughed.

"If Cindy was taken from our house, I would be on a rampage and we haven't been getting along lately. Sophia and you… you guys get along great. And since you've moved in here, I haven't seen or heard any sort of fighting over here. So, don't blame me when I say I don't believe you."

Tony coughed, trying to clear his throat.

"All I can think about is that I should have been downstairs." Tony said, shaking his head. Paul nodded at him, before shifting.

"She'll be alright. She seems like a fighter." Tony cracked a smile.

"You don't know how right you are."

…

Tony left his car in the parking garage of NCIS, getting out in a hurry. He'd spent some time at home, and now he couldn't take it anymore. It was too quiet. He walked inside, going through security and finally getting to the elevator. He waited patiently, and felt some sort of weird satisfaction when McGee walked up next to him. They both got into the elevator, McGee moving himself to the far side. When Tony was sure that they were halfway between floors, he hit the emergency stop.

He felt oddly like Gibbs for a moment.

"Tony-"

"Why did she get kidnapped?"

McGee paused, biting his lip. This was what he was afraid of. Tony without Ziva was something McGee didn't want to deal with again. One summer was enough.

"I was paying attention. I'm sorry."

"Why weren't you paying attention! Now, she could be dead. He's going to kill her McGee. You know he's going to kill her. And we could have had him, if you'd been paying attention!"

McGee listened carefully to Tony.

"You know Ziva will fight." McGee said, and Tony glared at him.

"How did he get her out of the house in the first place? She's a freaking ninja, for Christ sakes!"

McGee almost laughed at the exasperated tone in which Tony said "freaking ninja", but stopped himself.

"He probably threatened her with something that he knew she wouldn't be able to fight against."

"He better hope that threat sticks. I hope she rips him apart. On second thought, no. I hope she doesn't."

"Because you want to rip him apart. Tony, we all do. We are all going to work hard to find him, so we can."

Tony looked at McGee, and the lump in his throat made it hard to breath. He took a very deep breath, holding it for a second before letting it go. He could feel his hands shaking, and he quietly calmed himself. He was almost there when it snuck back up on him and he instantly turned around and slammed his fists against the wall.

"God damn it!"

McGee jumped, but knew that was the worst. He waited a second before walking over to Tony and putting his hand on his back.

"I am sorry Tony."

"I know McGee. I know."

There was a pause in which Tony took many deep breaths. McGee tapped his fingers against Tony's back once.

"And I'm sorry for blowing up at you. I shouldn't have."

"It's alright. I didn't expect you to be calm. After Somalia…"

McGee trailed off, and Tony nodded. He looked at McGee, and smiled.

"Thanks McGee. For both times." Tony said, and McGee shrugged.

"No problem. It's what friends, and probies, do."

Tony laughed at McGee's attempt to make a joke. In fact, it made him feel better. He reached over and flipped off the emergency stop, and they both stood up straight. When the doors opened, they walked off and into the bullpen, to find Gibbs searching through papers.

"McGee, look up Kenny's employee list again."

McGee sat down at his computer, and Tony stayed where he stood. He watched as McGee put them up on the plasma. Tony walked over to look at the screen, wondering what was on his bosses mind. Suddenly, Gibbs turned around and looked at Tony.

"Go back home."

"It's too quiet." Tony said, and Gibbs glared at him.

"Go home."

Tony looked at Gibbs, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Tony didn't even try long, knowing that whatever Gibbs was thinking would remain in his head.

"Alright." Tony said, grabbing his stuff and moving to the elevator. He looked back briefly, but Gibbs and McGee were already gone.

…

Ziva knew three things.

She was in the back of a car, with a bag on her head.

That car had been driving for maybe an hour.

And there was no fighting, as the knife pressed against her stomach muscles was already drawing blood.

* * *

**A/N: **As I'm just an awful review whore, I'd love to get up to 130 reviews with this chapter. I know tons of people have this alerted. In fact, when I last looked, this more alerts than stories three times as big as it. Only Hello, Apathy has more. :D

Reviews fuel writers.

Well, at least this one.

-Izzy. 


	8. Dinner at Kenny's

**A/N: **So, huge thanks for all of the reviews on last chapter. I got what I asked for (sorry for the review whore-ness. I am usually NOT like that!) and even got to 140. Thanks to ImaginePeace, you made coming home from the ER very very very great. So, I am sorry for the wait. A lot has been going on in my life at the moment, and after this weekend, I highly doubt I'll be going anywhere this week (besides the market on Thursday). You can hope to see more updates from me this week, but I can't garuntee it.

I AM sorry for leaving you on that very awful note on the last chapter. I hope this makes up for it ;).

**Disclaimer: **I should really keep better track of my OC's. :P

* * *

Ziva was listening closely to everything her captors said. It was little, but she was trying to make out who was around her. There was only once voice, but she knew that there were two people. The once voice that spoke was the man holding the knife against her stomach, and he spoke in a low mumble. Ziva didn't recognize it, so she was trying to listen for her other captor.

The car stopped, and suddenly the knife was gone. She heard a door open, but it wasn't any door near her. The other man got out of the car.

"If you do anything, you'll be shot."

Ziva wanted to cough at the awful smell of her captor's breath, but then her door opened and small hands were grabbing her. She allowed herself to be dragged out of the car, and then she stood and walked willingly next to who ever held her. It was hot, and the mesh bag over her head wasn't helping her breathing. She had moved the bottom of the bag with her chin just enough to let fresh air in, but with all of the moving, the small gap was gone.

Cool air hit her suddenly, and she realized they were inside somewhere. She could feel the difference in the ground, and tried to make out if it was tile or wood. Not that it mattered, but she needed something to focus on. The small trickle of blood running down her skin was in the front of her mind, and wasn't helping her to stay calm.

"Sit."

She sat where she was pushed to, and listened as one set of footsteps left the room. The bottom of the bag loosened, and it came off her head. She kept her eyes shut, but took a very deep breath. Her throat was dry, and she swallowed a couple time to try to relieve the pain.

She opened her eyes in time to see her captor move around her, the knife that had drawn blood in his hand.

…

Tony sat on the couch, not sure what to do.

He'd cleaned the whole house. Twice, in fact. Every sheet was washed, all the clothes were put away, every dish was stacked in perfect stacks, and the fridge was clean of any rotting food. Tony was slightly proud of himself, as he'd never been one to obsessively clean.

But he wasn't thinking about that at the moment.

He had the television on, and the sound was up just enough so he couldn't hear his own thoughts. He was waiting for Abby to come over, because she'd invited herself and she'd said that she was going to make him dinner. He hadn't spent quality time with Abby since the beginning of the undercover assignment, so he was more than happy. It was hard _not_ to miss Abby.

The doorbell rang, and he got up quickly. He turned down the volume on the television, throwing the remote to the couch as he moved to the front door. He barely got a chance to see Abby before she launched herself at him, engulfing him in a hug.

"Oh, I've missed you! How are you? Tell me you aren't eating your feelings." Abby rushed out, and Tony smiled.

"I am fine Abby." Tony said, pushing the door shut behind Abby. She kept her arms locked around his middle, and she moved him into the kitchen.

"Alright. But, I am still making you dinner and we are still talking." She said, letting go of him and putting her hands on her hips. Tony smiled, putting his hands on his hips.

"Yes ma'am."

It took Abby a couple minutes to figure out the kitchen (which she commented on as being "really big") and she began cooking. She kept their conversation flow going, and away from anything to do with Ziva until she had a moment to sit while one of her dishes finished cooking.

"How are you, really?" She said as she sat on the stool near Tony. She kept her eyes trained on him, obviously trying to stare him down.

"You've talked to Tim, haven't you?"

Abby's stare faltered, and Tony knew she had. He smirked at her, and she crinkled her nose.

"Well, yeah, I have. He came down into my lab and looked guilty, and I started to tell him it wasn't his fault, and then he told me about you're outburst-y thing in the elevator. I mean, I was angry with him earlier in the day, but at that point, I just felt sorry for him. He seemed to be upset about what he did, and so I talked to him about it and we talked about you for a second."

Tony put up in finger in fear that, if Abby spoke any longer, she would faint. She took a deep breath, and Tony smiled at her.

"I get it Abby."

"Good. Because, I want an honest answer. Not an 'I don't know'. I want you to tell me honestly how you feel. Because, based on what Tim said, you know how you feel."

The lump in Tony's throat appeared again, and he shifted his jaw to make it go away.

"Abs, honestly, I'm better now."

"Tony, honestly, the whole house is clean and the fridge is sparkling white."

Tony shifted.

"There's nothing else to do. I'd be at work, but boss sent me home. And usually when I'm home from work, I'm here with her. And we are doing… whatever."

Abby nodded, seeing how Tony swallowed. And how he avoided saying her name. Abby was about to say something when the timer went off, and she jumped up to catch her food. Tony got up and retrieved plates and utensils. He set them on the table before reaching into the fridge and grabbing out the water pitcher. Abby filled each plate with food, before sitting down. She watched Tony eat for a moment before digging into her own food, glad it came out alright.

"I'm glad you came over Abby. This is better than eating alone."

Abby reached over and touched Tony's arm gently, smiling before going back to eating.

…

McGee was sitting at his desk, typing away quickly. Gibbs was looking at the plasma, going though the information that the local PD had sent over. The clicking of Gibbs going through information stopped, and McGee looked up.

"What is it boss?"

"They have an unidentified finger print, found on the door frame."

McGee quickly found the one Gibbs was talking about, and began a search. Gibbs walked over to McGee's desk, standing behind him as the search ran its course. They each mentally had their fingers crossed, hoping for any kind of hit.

It was their lucky day.

The search found a match, and McGee sat up a little straighter. He clicked on the results, and moved them over to the plasma.

"Charlie Frisco, 27. Has a previous charge of… breaking and entering."

"He isn't an employee of Kenny's." Gibbs said, and McGee nodded.

"How does he fit into this then?"

Gibbs looked at the image of the person, trying to see if he remembered a face. He looked at McGee, and the younger agent shrugged.

"Maybe Tony recognizes him." McGee said, and Gibbs nodded. He grabbed his jacket, and Tim followed, printing out the picture of Frisco quickly before running to catch the elevator.

…

Paul Hart sat with his wife and two daughters at Kenny's, watching as Allyson and Mary argued over onion rings or bread sticks. Mary was all for bread sticks, but Allyson had recently acquired a taste for onion rings.

"Girls, we can get both." Cindy said, and Allyson smiled.

"Thank you mom." She said, and Mary echoed Allyson with a smile. She snuggled into her dads side, grabbing at a crayon the waitress had brought her. She moved onto Paul's lap so she could color her child menu, and Cindy smiled.

"I wonder where Ben is tonight. He usually is serving when we come." Allyson said, being very observant. Ben always made sure her soda was filled to the brim, no matter how much she drank. Cindy thought Allyson had a small crush on Ben, but knew it was just the same familiarity everyone had with Ben.

"Oh, Ben won't be here."

Everyone looked at Mary, and Paul raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean honey?"

"Ben is probably hiding so Dan doesn't kill him."

Now, people around them were listening closely. Paul knew that this was the night many of the neighbors went to Kenny's, and they were all listening. They were all worried about Sophia.

"Mary, you aren't making sense. Why would Dan want to kill Ben?" Cindy said.

"Because Ben took Sophia."

* * *

**A/N: **I was going to have more on the ending, but I thought that last line was enough.

Reviews would be lovely, and you can blame OutCold for distracting me with a very amazing picture for this not getting up at least ten minutes sooner. :P

-Izzzzy. 


	9. Leads

**A/N: **I am sorry for the wait on this chapter. Last couple of weeks (even though they have been great) have been hectic and such. My birthday was last week, and each day of that week was semi-filled with stuff to do. I was, however, proud of myself for posting a oneshot on the 4th. :) Anywho... ha.

This directly continues off of last chapter. As not to spoil anything, I'll leave you to read and then say what I want to say at the end.

Btw;; Thanks for alll of the lovely reviews on last chapter. And thank you to everyone who has alerted this. I'm very very surprised, as this story has almost as many as Apathy, which has 19 chapters haha. So, thanks. :D

* * *

Gibbs and McGee called Tony before they sent Palmer to drive over as the "helping friend" again. They needed to see if Tony recognized Frisco, and also get Abby back to the lab to do more tests. So, after a small promise of ice cream, Palmer was on his way. He pulled up quietly to the house, and hadn't even parked the car before Abby came bursting out of the front door. She waited for him outside the car door with a smile on her face.

"Hey Jimmy." She said as he got out. He smiled at her, allowing her to pull him up the walk. "Come inside."

Palmer followed Abby inside, amazed at how much the house had changed since he was there last. He actually felt like it was a real home.

"Hey Tony." Palmer said as he walked into the kitchen, sitting down next to him at the island. Tony nodded at Palmer, taking the envelope in his hand. Inside was the picture of Frisco, and when Tony examined it, nothing struck him. He handed it back to Palmer with a frown, feeling useless. Palmer looked over his shoulder at Abby, who shrugged. She moved over to Tony, placing her arms around his shoulders and her chin on her hand.

"It's okay Tony."

Tony didn't say anything, but Palmer could see him bite his lip. He shook his head slightly, before moving to get up. Abby let go of him, watching as he gathered up the dishes. Palmer picked some up as well, walking over and rolling up his sleeves.

"I'll rinse, Tony." Palmer said as he watched Tony fill up one side of the sink with water. When he was finished, he began washing dishes. Palmer rinsed, handing them to Abby so she could dry. Tony felt himself being to smile as the task went on.

…

Paul lifted Mary out of her car seat, urgency in what he did. He walked straight across his lawn, and up to Dan's front door. He was about to knock when the door opened to reveal two people he didn't recognize. Dan walked up behind the two people, a confused look on his face.

"Hey, Paul. What's wrong?" Dan said, moving up to the doorframe.

"Mary saw-"

"I saw Ben take Sophia!" Mary said, her face determined.

"What?" Dan said, his confusion growing.

"I was sitting in my window and I saw Ben take Sophia."

"And you didn't tell anyone why?" The Goth woman behind Dan spoke up. She looked furious, and Mary glared back at her with the same blazing look.

"I was scared." She said, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. Dan reached out and took Mary from Paul, hugging her close.

"It's okay. Why would you be scared?"

"Because the man with Ben looked scary."

Dan's eyes widened, and the Goth behind him disappeared.

"Would you be able to recognize him?" Paul asked, and Mary nodded at her father. She wiped her eyes, sniffing.

"Yeah. He was really scary." She said, and Dan smiled at her.

…

Gibbs held a photo array in his hand, walking over to McGee's desk. That was where Paul Hart sat, holding Mary to his chest. Tony was sitting in his chair, next to the desk. McGee was standing there, along with Palmer and Abby. They were all hoping that Mary would give them another lead.

Gibbs handed the paper to Paul, who held it up for Mary to see. She looked it over carefully, her eyes widening as she saw someone she recognized.

"Him!"

McGee's face lit up, and he nodded to Gibbs. Palmer and Abby looked at each other, and Tony felt himself relax.

They had another lead.

"Thanks Paul, Mary, Dan." Gibbs said, looking at them. He disappeared from the bullpen, and Paul looked at Tony.

"What do we do now?" He asked, and McGee looked up.

"You can go home. We'll call you if we get anything."

Paul stood, noticing that Mary was beginning to fall asleep. He followed Tony out of the bullpen, and to the elevator. Once they were on, Paul turned to Tony.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, and Tony pursed his lips.

"I don't know. What should I feel? There is a chance they might find Sophia."

Mary shifted in her father's arms, and Paul shifted his weight.

"Relief."

There was a pause, and the elevator stopped.

"And hope." Mary whispered quietly, causing the two men with her to smile.

…

Ziva groaned as she tried to pull her shirt off the dried blood from the cut on her stomach. She finally managed to pull the fabric away, and she looked at the cut. It wasn't that big, and had already begun to heal. She winced as she turned over in the small bed, onto her side. She faced the wall with a grim expression, and sighed.

She was trying to make mental notes of everything. She'd memorized what her one captor looked like, as she'd never seen the other. He always stayed behind her. Sighing, she fell back on her back, holding her stomach.

There was some whispering outside of the room where Ziva lay, and she tried to still her body to listen. She could just make out two male voices, and recognized them as her captors. She held her breath.

"Why? Why is she different?"

There was silence, and then the door opened. Ziva kept her eyes shut, breathing calmly. She could feel warmth next to her, and suddenly she was lifted into the air. Her eyes shot open as she was placed in a chair, and she stared straight ahead in shock.

"You can leave, Charlie."

Charlie left, and Ziva was left alone with the once captor she never saw.

And how she understood why.

Benjamin, from Kenny's, stood in front of her. She kept her face blank though, while her brain was screaming at her. Why hadn't she seen this?

"Hello, Sophia." Ben said, his eyes moving over her. She didn't feel comfortable around him anymore.

"Ben." Ziva said, and he smiled. He grabbed the other chair, and sat down near her. He smiled again, but this was more friendly.

"I'm sorry about your stomach." He said, and she stared at him. She didn't know what to say. She decided to sit there quietly, and keep her face straight. Ben looked at her carefully, as if he expected her to fight him. She could see it in his eyes. He was preparing himself for any movement from her, so Ziva shifted her weight. She saw his hands clench.

"Don't you have any questions? They always do."

Ziva shook her head. Ben furrowed his brows together. They sat there for a minute in silence, before Ziva opened her mouth.

"I think I already understand."

Ben laughed as he rubbed his forehead.

"Understand what?" His voice was laced with sarcasm and disbelief.

"Understand why you are doing what you're doing."

Ben's face sobered, before he let out a cruel laugh.

"I don't think you do." He said quietly, and it was Ziva's turn to laugh.

"You obviously had a awful home life. Parents fought. Obviously unhappy. And now you can't stand to see happy couples, because it reminds you of what you always wished for."

Ben remained silent, and Ziva took that as a good sign.

"You are killing women, which means your mother did something awful. Did she beat you? Or maybe she beat your father."

Ben suddenly moved, and he was standing with his back to her. Ziva stopped talking, deciding she'd gone too far. She didn't expect Ben to turn around, and when he did, Ziva felt her stomach drop.

He glared at her coldly and then left the room.

* * *

**A/N: **I would like to point out something that was bugging me while writing; The section where Paul brings Mary over to 'Dan's' house was bugging me, because it's written in Paul's semi-POV, which means that he'd think of Tony as Dan. So, if it was confusing, that is why it's Dan and not Tony in that section. I felt it was awkward, and needed to explain. I'm just awkward in general though.

Reviews would be greatly appreciated. I know it wasn't much, and it probably has some major mistakes in it, but I finally got an update. I know what the next chapter is going to be though. :)

-Thanks, Izzy. 


	10. Found

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. Sorry for the wait, summer is proving to be demanding and not so relaxing and nothing to do like last summer. And yes, I know this is short. I stopped it where it is for a reason.

Mainly because otherwise, it would have ended up being far too long and far too revealing far too quickly.

That, and I'm not in a very good mood.

* * *

Ziva was sitting on the bed, her hands over her stomach, when she heard the doorbell ring. She sat up quickly, going to the door to listen. She'd learned that if she put her ear about an inch off the floor, everything from the entry way and front door echoed underneath the door. She hadn't heard much, but it was enough to know it worked.

She heard someone grumble as they walked towards the door, and then she heard the door open. The next voice she heard made her stomach lurch.

"Is Charlie Frisco here?" Gibbs voice echoed into the room, and Ziva bit her bottom lip.

"Who's asking?"

Of course, Ben had to answer the door.

"Special Agent Gibbs and McGee, from NCIS. I'd like to speak to him."

Ziva didn't hear anyone speak, but footsteps move down away from the doorway and she placed her face flat on the floor. She saw their feet move away from the front door, and she got a glimpse of the car before the door shut. She then stood up, straining to hear anything from the kitchen. There was some low murmur, and then a couple laughs. Ziva raised an eyebrow as she heard footsteps moving down the hallway. She heard them stop outside her door, and then they turned around.

"Which side of the hall did you say?" McGee's voice yelled.

"On the left." Ben yelled back, and Ziva knew McGee had asked to use the bathroom. She heard the door across the hallway open then close and she patiently waited. She was about to press her ear harder to the door when fast approaching footsteps caused her to fling herself back onto the bed. She kept her head down as the door opened, and she kept her breathing calm. The door then shut, and whoever entered the room moved away. She sat up again, listening closely to the murmuring coming from the kitchen area.

And then something crashed to the floor.

…

Local LEO's showed up just as a vase crashed to the floor and a stool was thrown. Tony jumped out of the car, running up the front steps with two agents on either side of him. One kicked the door in, and Tony tried to make sense of the situation. He heard someone banging on a door, not far down the hall, and there was yelling and sounds of struggling coming from the living room. Tony decided to go to the bathroom, and there he found McGee locked inside.

"Tony, I was looking around and then Ben he pushed me into the bathroom as I came out and Gibbs was yelling and-"Tony ignored McGee as he heard something from behind him. He faintly heard the sound of Gibbs yell at Frisco that he was under arrest, and he faintly heard McGee tell the two agents near the door to make sure the neighborhood kids didn't see anything.

He pushed open the door, his hand never letting go of his gun. He stopped there in the doorway, his breath hitching. The walls were white, which caused Tony's eyes to need to adjust to the sudden brightness.

But that wasn't what caused him pause.

Ben was standing behind Ziva, his hand over her mouth and the other on her stomach. Tony looked closer, and he saw that Ben was slowly shoving a knife into Ziva's skin.

"Ben, put the knife down." Tony said, his eyes locked with Ziva's. She looked calm, but there was an edge to her eyes.

Ben raised an eyebrow, moving slightly to the left. Tony didn't move.

"You know, I'm pretty comfortable like this."

Tony heard Ziva take a sharp breath, and he looked at her stomach.

Ben pushed the knife a little farther into her abdomen, and a slow trickle of blood began to stain her skin.

* * *

**A/N: **I don't know if I'm asking too much, but review? :) It'd be like, the best back to school ever if I got to 200. 


	11. All That Matters

**A/N: **This was longer... and this did have a somewhat good ending... and then I realized that it was highly OOC more than this story already is... and then I freaked out and went back to doing my history timeline. And then I finished all of my history and geometry and english and... gahh homework. I can't find something I need for choir... OH WELL!

Enough of my rambling!

So, this is for all of you who reviewed. :) Thank you guys so much. I think I nearly peed my pants at all of the reviews. And they all made me grin and smile and very very happy and yeahh. Best back to school ever. :D

And today we had some RECORD temperatures, so I decided to post this while I'm cooling off on the floor watching angsty stuff on Glee. Oh, and the anger surrrounding when Glee is airing this year. THE SAME TIME AS NCIS! I almost started to... throw a fit to say the least. :P Glee is being watched online, that is for sure.

* * *

_Tony heard Ziva take a sharp breath and he looked at her stomach._

_Ben pushed the knife a little farther into her abdomen and a slow trickle of blood began to stain her skin._

Tony pushed back the thoughts coming to the forefront of his brain, trying to clear his head. He needed clarity and calm. Watching the blood move down Ziva's body wasn't helping that. So he focused his eyes on Ben, who was smirking slightly.

"Well, this is quite interesting."

Tony ignored Ben's comment, formulating a sentence.

"Why don't you tell Sophia why she's in this room? Because I know, but she doesn't."

Ben's face tightened, but he still kept his smirk. He didn't answer, and Tony gently pushed the door shut. He moved back against it, hoping that wasn't a stupid idea.

"Tell her, Benjamin, what happened in this room. Tell her what happened in this house."

The grip on Ziva's mouth became stronger, and Ben moved a little bit farther back. Ziva was surprised he was being so quiet. She was glad though, because this meant something Tony said had rattled him.

Or so she hoped.

"If you know, why don't you tell her yourself?"

Tony's face didn't seem to falter, and but he shrugged nonchalantly.

"See, Soph, his parents weren't a happy couple. They fought a lot. There are police records of domestic violence calls from this address. This house is Ben's childhood home, though I doubt you'd call it that. And the room we're standing is in the room in which Ben's mother killed his father, when Ben was 10."

Ziva watched Tony as he said this, his eyes never leaving Ben. Ben shifted his weight, keeping the knife near Ziva's stomach and his hand over her mouth.

"And now, it seems, he has a grudge against happy couples. Isn't that right Benny? You'd see those happy and possibly expecting couples in Kenny's and you'd feel sick to your stomach at their happiness. When, all you ever had was fighting and loneliness."

"Shut up." Ben said, his hand that held the knife moving. Ziva felt it's presence near her ribs, and swallowed hard.

"You can't make it out of here alive."

The statement seemed to anger Ben, as he roughly shook Ziva around, before standing still. In the silence afterwards, all three could hear people outside the door. Ziva heard Gibbs' low mumble, and then McGee in response. Then there was silence again.

"Well, then that makes two of us."

It didn't take Tony much time to figure out what he meant, and he felt himself swallow. He was about to speak again, when Ben opened his mouth.

"Do you want kids, Dan?" Ben said in a very conversational voice.

"Someday, maybe."

"That's not an answer. That is a possibility. Kids are always a possibility. You can either make it a definite one or not."

Tony paused now. He wasn't sure how he should answer that question, so he decided honesty was a good choice.

"Someday, yes."

"And when you have these kids, someday, would you ruin their lives?"

"All parents ruin their child's life at some point."

Ben didn't seem to appreciate Tony's sarcasm.

"I mean would you throw them away like trash, and act like they didn't matter?"

Tony heard something outside the door move, but he ignored it.

"No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't want them to grow up with a lifetime of problems."

Ben seemed satisfied with the answer, and loosened his grip on Ziva's mouth for a second. Tony took this moment to look over Ziva, quickly seeing that Ben had tied her hands back and that she looked dehydrated. Tony took a step forward, and everything seemed to happen at once.

Ziva swung her head back, making contact with Ben's nose. He yelled out in pain, and brought his hand off Ziva's mouth to his own face. She sidestepped away from him, and Tony aimed his gun to Ben's chest.

Next, the door behind Tony opened and Tony quickly moved out of the way, keeping his gun pointed at Ben. He heard Gibbs yelling at Ben to not move, and took another step closer to Ziva. It was then that Ben seemed to regain his thinking, and he quickly flung his arm in the direction of Ziva, his knife making contact with her side.

"Ziva!"

Gibbs instantly shot Ben, his bullet making contact with his upper chest. Tony rushed over to where Ziva had fallen, falling to his knees next to her. He instantly put his hands on the wound, bunching up her shirt and covering the open gash. McGee was suddenly there too, with a towel in his hand. Tony replaced the dirty shirt with the clean towel, and he pushed hard on the bleeding gash.

"Ziva, I'm sorry."

Ziva's eyes were blinking rapidly, and she could just make out the shape of Tony above her. She pushed against the pain haze and smiled up at him.

"Never apologize. It's a sign of weakness." She whispered, and he seemed to laugh. He could hear the paramedics coming, and pushed on her wound just a little bit harder.

The last thing Ziva heard before she fell unconscious was the sound of McGee yelling and sirens echoing around her.

_

* * *

_Ziva drifted into consciousness, her body aching. She could feel something in her arm, and a weight on top of her. She knew she was in a hospital, due to the beeping above her head. Her eyelids were heavy, and she fought to open them. When she did, she had to blink twice at the light.

"Ziva."

She turned her face towards the voice, and was greeted by Abby's worried face.

"Hey Abby." She said quietly, and the Goth hugged Ziva gently. She moved away afterwards, standing right next to the bed. Ziva looked around, surprised to find her room empty.

"Where is everyone else?"

Ziva's voice was dry and hoarse, so Abby handed her a cup of water. Ziva drank the whole thing as she waited for Abby's answer.

"Gibbs is with the Director, doing a final briefing. McGee is in with Ben, as Vance ordered someone to watch him at all times. Whether it is local LEO's or us. Right now, it's McGee. And Tony is in the bathroom… I think. He really had to pee. So he asked me to watch you."

Ziva smiled at Abby, finding her explanation soothing. She sat up a little, letting her pillow fall to rest behind her back.

"How long have I been out?"

"Three days. The doctors said you were severely dehydrated, and that along with lack of sleep and the wound Ben inflicted caused you to go unconscious. You've been on morphine and fluids since you got in here. The cut in your side missed anything vital or important, thankfully."

Ziva tried to sit up fully, and a sharp pain though her side stopped her. She fell back against the pillows, biting her lip.

"I guess I am not going anywhere." Abby laughed at Ziva, placing her hand on the injured woman's shoulder.

"Even if you could move, I doubt Gibbs or Tony would let you."

That caused Ziva to smile, and as if on cue, Tony walked through the hospital door. He smiled at the scene as he moved over to the bed. Abby hugged him quickly, before waving good-bye to Ziva and disappearing. Ziva blinked at Abby's disappearance, but didn't mind. Tony sat down next to the bed, smiling at her.

"I see you've woken up." He said, and Ziva nodded. She shifted onto her side so she could face him better.

"I see you can spot the obvious."

Tony laughed lightly, reaching up and taking Ziva's hand. His face suddenly became serious.

"I meant what I said."

Ziva thought back, but couldn't remember much. Her mind came to rest on one thing he said though, and she shook her head.

"You have no reason to be sorry."

"Yes, I do. I broke a promise. A couple, actually."

Ziva raised an eyebrow. She could only remember one promise.

"There is more than one? I only remember one." She said, and he smirked to himself.

"I only told you one." He said jokingly, and Ziva faked a gasp.

"Keeping secrets, I see." She said, and Tony laughed. She smiled at the sound, comforted by his presence.

"It's not really a secret. More of a promise to myself." He said this softly, and Ziva shut her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she reached for her water glass. Tony handed it to her, speaking as she drank.

"After Somalia, I told myself I'd never let you down… again."

Ziva looked at him, and found a smile forming on her face. She reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"And I said I wouldn't let anything hurt you. And, well… we're sitting in a hospital."

Ziva laughed, before reaching up and touching Tony's face.

"You did not let me down." She said simply, and Tony shook his head. He wanted to say something, but he didn't.

"And as for the knife wound in my side… it doesn't matter. All that matters is I am alive."

He smiled again at her, reaching up to hold her hand against his cheek. He turned his face into her palm and placed a kiss there. He then took her hand off his cheek and placed it on the bed. His other hand came to cup her cheek, and he gently leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips.

"For now, that's all that matters."

* * *

**A/N: **This did go on longer and have something with Gibbs and... yeah.

I cut that all out and made it this.

Reviews are much appreciated. I think the next chapter is the last. :/


	12. The End

**A/N: **So, here is it. The last chapter of My Manic & I. I would like to thank everyone for following this story, and giving it so much love. Like, really. It's my most alerted story ever. About 190 people have this alerted, I believe. So, yeah, just thanks guys.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed every chapter. My continual followers, those who reviewed even if the chapter was just... fluff hah. But, much thanks to everyone else as well for reviewing. I can't forget all of you. :)

That said, I hope you like this chapter. It's short, kind of boring, but I think the ending will make you guys happy... maybe. I've been typing this all day, and I hope it lives up to what you guys wanted. I'm anxious/nervous like that. :/

Okay, so without further to do... here is the last chapter.

**Don't forget to review! It's the last chapter guys! :) Besides, I'd love to see how many of you that have it alerted take time to review. There are so many of you...**

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Bright light pushed at Ziva's eyelids, causing her to turn over to get away from it. Her hand encountered an incredibly soft pillow, and her eyes shot open. It took her a second to remember where she was, and then she relaxed. She was in her own bed, in her own apartment, wearing her own clothes and sleeping on her own schedule. She had just gotten home last night, after filing discharge papers and promising the doctors that someone was staying with her.

She rolled over onto her back, wincing as her stitches moved with her. She had to keep them in for a couple weeks, and she'd already scheduled a follow up doctor's appointment to get an exact date. Abby had threatened some sort of chemical harm if her stitches pulled early, and though Ziva knew she was somewhat kidding, the threat was taken seriously. To make sure Ziva didn't over exert herself, Tony had assured Abby he was staying with the injured woman.

Ziva slid out of bed, wrapping a blanket around herself to keep warm. She padded down the hall, bypassing the living room and making her way into the kitchen. She quietly prepared a bowl of cereal, and paused when she realized she couldn't reach the box without stretching her side. She grabbed a chair and was climbing up onto it when two hands grabbed her waist.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Ziva crossed her arms as she was placed on the floor, and turned slowly to glare at Tony.

"I was going to get some cereal."

Tony smirked down at her, before reaching up and grabbing the box. Ziva roughly took the box from him, moving over to the table to sit and eat. Tony sat down across from her, eating the last of his toast he'd made earlier.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he stood up. Ziva watched as he grabbed down her prescription bottle and grabbed her two painkillers. He then poured her a glass of water, and set both things next to her bowl.

"Fine, thank you." She said as she swallowed the pills before eating again.

When she finished, she quietly put her dishes in the sink. She sighed as she looked around the kitchen, realizing she would be stuck in the apartment for a while. She turned around to see that Tony had disappeared. She walked into the living room and found him sitting on the couch, flipping through channels. As she sat down next to him, he pulled his feet off her coffee table and put his arm up on the back of the couch.

"Gibbs gave you the day off?"

Tony snorted, his arm moving off the couch to Ziva's shoulders. He pulled her a little bit closer, before shifting his feet.

"Let's just say I have one too many vacation days."

"Ahh." Ziva said, reaching up and taking the remote off Tony's chest. She was changing the channel when something on the table caught her eye. She carefully grabbed the bag with her toes, tossing it onto her chest. Tony laughed.

"Why are these here?" She asked, taking the rings out of the bag. Tony shrugged.

"The nurse took yours off at the hospital, and I had mine, so I put them in a bag to take back to NCIS."

Ziva nodded, taking her ring out of the bag. She looked at it a moment, noticing there was a spot of blood on it. Tony must have known where she was looking.

"Abby told me to leave it there. She'll clean them up when I get them back."

Ziva nodded, playing with the ring between her fingers. She slipped it back into the bag, and gently placed the bag back on the table. She absentmindedly settled back against Tony, handing him back the remote. She had a feeling she would be falling asleep soon.

Tony shifted just a tad so Ziva could stretch out more, and then he cleared his throat.

"Do you want to go back to bed?" He said quietly, and Ziva shook her head. She could feel the effects of the painkillers starting to kick in, and her head became a tad bit heavier.

"No, I am comfortable right here." She answered, shutting her eyes. She didn't like the fact that the pain killers made her drowsy, but it was better than feeling the pain in her body. She moved slightly so her stitches weren't pressing into the couch.

"I love you, Ziva."


End file.
